Broken Hollow, Broken Hearts
by Nerdherder51
Summary: Long ago when Pixie Hollow was still a unified world, a new princess arrives. She falls for the handsome Lord of Winter, but unrelenting and sinister forces threaten to tear them and their world apart forever. A Clarion and Milori love story. Moderate AU. Rated T. Clarion, Milori and several OC's. (Officially abandoned. Read "Unification" for summary.)
1. Chapter 1

**Broken Hollow, Broken Hearts: A Milarion Love Story**

**Chapter 1**

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**Disclaimer: Tinker Bell, Disney Fairies and all related characters and content are the property of The Walt Disney Company. The character of Tinker Bell originated by Sir J. M. Barrie. This fan fiction is not intended for profit or monetary gain and exists solely for the purpose of fan entertainment.**

**Occurs long ago when Pixie Hollow was a unified biosphere, rather than a divided world of warm and winter. In this time in history warm and winter fairies can cross the border without ill effects. Mild to moderate AU.**

**Note: This story is my interpretation of how Queen Clarion and Lord Milori first met and fell in love, as well as how Pixie Hollow wound up as two distinct biospheres. I have always had some problems reconciling that Pixie Hollow is a divided world. It begs the question, if warm fairies cannot tolerate the cold and winter fairies cannot tolerate warm temperatures then how do they survive when visiting the mainland to bring in their respective seasons? Yes, I know I am over thinking this, but I am propounding a theory nonetheless. Enjoy.  
**

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**~O~**

During the Roman Iron Age and long before the first stirrings of what would eventually become Great Britain, Pixie Hollow could be found in Never Land as it had for centuries before and would for centuries to come. The second star to the right and straight on till morning was where a tiny seedling floated. The first laugh of a baby girl had drifted across the seas and over continents before finding its way to the arrival pad of the Pixie Dust Tree. A new fairy had arrived in Pixie Hollow.

Fairies and sparrow men of every talent had gathered to greet their newest addition. Seated on leaves and toadstools and twigs and blossoms were the representatives of the tinker fairies, water talents, garden fairies, fast flyers, light talents, animal fairies, the various service talents and the winter fairies. Queen Mab, the ruler of the pixies in the hollow arrived in swirls of Pixie Dust to greet the new young fairy. When a young dust talent with a hearty Scottish brogue dusted the laugh a fairy was born. She had lovely blue eyes, honey brown hair and perfect, milky white skin.

"Born of laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here," the queen greeted warmly. "Welcome to Pixie Hollow. I trust you found your way alright?"

"I... I think so," the little fairy said.

"Let me get those wings," Queen Mab announced as she swung around and pulled up the wings of the new arrival. To everyone's astonishment, what Mab raised were not clear, gossamer wings. Instead they were gold colored, shimmering butterfly wings. Just like the queen's. At the sight everyone knew a fairy princess had been born.

The arrival of a fairy princess while a monarch still sat on the throne was a rare, but bittersweet occasion. It meant that The Fading was not far off for the reigning queen. Mab was a well loved ruler whose lengthy reign was considered a golden age in the history of Pixie Hollow. But even she knew that queen's do not live forever and was aware that at some time a new princess would soon arrive to take her place. Now she was here.

The queen helped the young princess to fly for the first time. The young fairy giggled as she took her first, tentative flight. Finally, the queen turned to the assembled crowd and said, "Do not mourn for me, fairies of the hollow. My time is coming to an end as we all knew it would. Instead, be joyous as we welcome our new arrival. Princess Clarion."

The fairies assembled cheered even as some felt heavy in their hearts at losing a beloved monarch. No one knew if Princess Clarion would be as gentle and devoted a ruler as Mab. Only time would tell.

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**~O~**

"You missed it, Lord Milori," Icicle, the Minister of Winter said to the young sparrow man. "A new princess has arrived. Her name is Clarion."

Milori, The Lord of Winter who had assumed the role two hundred years ago when the previous ruler, the Lady of Winter suddenly faded, stopped his work and stood there. For a moment he was silent. Then he spoke in hushed and worried tones, "How long?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"How long before The Fading begins? Before we lose Queen Mab?"

The Fading was the end of a fairy's life. Their light would slowly go out until they had passed away. It wasn't a particularly long event, usually only a few weeks to a few months. It did offer time for the fairy to put his or her affairs in order. Often, close friends would organize a ceremony where good memories were spoken, closely held secrets were divulged, grudges were expunged and any apologies were made so the fairy could fade with a clear conscious. It gave everyone a chance to clear the air and say their final goodbyes before it was too late.

"I don't know," Icicle replied.

"How does this new princess strike you?" Milori asked her. "Does, what was her name again?"

"Clarion."

"Does this Clarion look the part of a queen? Could she ably replace Queen Mab?"

"The queen seems to think so."

After another long and uncomfortable silence, Milori finally said, "I will pay the young princess a visit when the winter fairies leave for the Mainland. There is still far too much work to be done yet."

"Queen Mab does not like to be kept waiting," Icicle warned him.

"I'm well aware, but there is much to be done and we are sadly behind schedule," he informed her. "The most recent delivery of baskets from the tinker guild were inferior and had to be sent back. Winter could be late because of them."

"I will relay your message to Queen Mab and Princess Clarion, My Lord." Icicle turned and left the winter ruler to his work.

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**~O~**

Later that evening Lord Milori paid a visit to his friend, Dewey, the keeper of all fairy knowledge and wisdom.

"Good evening, Keeper," Milori said as he entered the library where Dewey worked keeping all his records. "Have you heard the dreadful news?"

"Mariposa is visiting again?" Dewey replied with a chuckle.

"Hardly," Milori replied curtly. He was in no mood for levity. "A new princess has arrived."

"Oh, I would hardly call that dreadful news, Lord Milori," Dewey replied in his funny way of talking. Milori always assumed it was because he spent all his time talking to himself while writing rather than regularly associating with the other Winter fairies. "We should all be a-celebrating and shooting off the fireworks and singing songs to the new princess." Dewey flew up close to Milori's ear and whispered, "that-a-way she'll go easy on us if we a-flitter things up, if you know what I mean."

"Vulgarity is hardly becoming, Keeper."

"I'm just tryin' to lighten up your mood, Lord Milori. I think I know what your problem is."

Milori looked at him quizzically.

"You have a fear of change."

"Absurd. Queen Mab has been an excellent monarch. What if this Clarion fairy is a monster? What if she is the exact opposite of our gracious queen? I can't imagine thousands of years living under those circumstances."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry yourself about it, Lord Milori," Dewey said confidently. "Pixie Hollow has never had a horrible queen and I doubt we'll have one in Princess Clarion."

"Well what if she's ugly?"

"Fear of change."

"Then what should I do, Keeper?"

"Tell you what, why don't you go and see for yourself. Meet the princess. Go by the kitchens and ask the confiseur to whip up a batch of his famous ice box chocolates and offer them to the princess as a welcome gift."

"What if she's allergic to chocolate?"

Dewey just twisted up his face and stared at Lord Milori, who recognized immediately how silly he sounded just then. "Very well, I'll take her a gift as you suggest and meet the young princess."

"And make up your own mind. I'm sure she is a kind, generous and lovely young fairy."

"I certainly hope you're right."

Milori left the library and flew to the kitchens on the winter side when he was distracted by a column of snowy owls bringing over the replacement winter baskets. _Well it's about time_, he thought. The Lord of Winter lit off towards the frozen pond where the owls landed with their packages from the warm fairies. He was determined to oversee the arrival and inspection of this new batch of baskets. The tinker fairies had been having problems lately with issues of quality control and manufacturing.

Rumors were buzzing that the tinker overseer in the warm seasons was losing her touch and was to be retired in favor of a younger guild manager. Fortunately, when he arrived Milori found that every basket was in good shape. There were no malfunctioning parts or badly woven spots that might give out while carrying the delicately made snowflakes his fairies would carry to the mainland. The last few winters had been mild because of these problems and too many snow flakes had been lost over the waters when the baskets failed.

"This is going to be a good winter," he said. "I do hope the humans are ready for a very cold season."

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**I'm not sure when I'll get to the next chapter. Still very tied up with other stories. The familiar ministers of the seasons are not in place yet with the exception of Redleaf. The Minister of Spring is Laurel, the Minister of Winter is Icicle and the Minister of Summer is Mariposa. Hyacinth, Sunflower and Snowflake will arrive at later dates in history.**

**Confiseur means confectioner.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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As soon as the arrival ceremony had ended Princess Clarion was spirited away to the inner sanctum of the Pixie Dust Tree. She was assigned a room and provided clothes by the royal dressmaker talent. A meal was provided and then she was brought before Queen Mab where she was formally introduced to the Ministers of the Seasons.

First there was Redleaf, The Minister of Autumn, a tall and handsome man dressed in the colors of the Fall. Redleaf was also the oldest and wisest of the ministers and also the most levelheaded.

Icicle was the Minister of Winter, a pretty creature wrapped in white. Despite her season's frigid conditions Icicle possessed a helpful and sometimes warm disposition.

The Minister of Spring was Laurel, a tall and avuncular man with salt and pepper hair who smiled often and laughed quite readily. He always seemed to be in good spirits and brought cheer to everyone he met. It was a personality which matched the riot of bright colors he liked to wear.

Lastly was Mariposa, the Minister of Summer, an effervescent if not excitable woman who nonetheless was highly competent and more than an equal to her counterparts. Her clothing was made of deeper colors than Laurel and prominently featured numerous fruits, berries and nuts woven into the garments.

"My, what a lovely pendant," Princess Clarion observed. Mariposa wore a necklace made of colorful beads. The pendant was composed of three small jewels connected by a larger jewel which joined the pendant to the necklace. What had caught Clarion's eye was the butterfly like image from within the large diamond. "Yes, quite appropriate, don't you think?"

Clarion seemed confused. "Mariposa means butterfly," the Minister of Summer added, answering the princess's unanswered question.

"Oh yes, now it makes sense. How very lovely."

With the pleasantries completed Queen Mab explained to the new princess that these four ministers were to be her mentors in the coming years. "My time is nearing an end," Mab informed her. "Your presence is a harbinger of my passing. It is my duty to ensure you are prepared to take up the mantle as ruler of Pixie Hollow just as it was the duty of the queen who prepared me. These four will instruct you in the workings of all four seasons. I will instruct you in the matters of the monarchy and the proper ways of a queen. Your days not be your own. From the time you wake up to the moment you sleep your hours and minutes will be spent undergoing intensive instruction. Remember, my dear, you are the leader of an entire people. Their continued existence in a civilized society rests entirely on your shoulders. It is an awesome burden from which there is no respite and no exit. Fear not, you were born for this task."

All monarchs of Pixie Hollow were born with a unique talent known as Leadership. It encompassed several sub talents including diplomacy, conflict resolution, personnel management, logic, leadership, poise and strength of will among many others. A queen was also endowed with every talent found in Pixie Hollow. Part of her training would then involve learning each talent from a guild supervisor or trainer. "You will not need these talents as no queen has ever lowered herself to perform manual labor, however, it does allow a monarch to connect with her subjects."

"You will also be subject to the same rules of grace, poise and protocol as anyone else in my court," Queen Mab informed her. Protocol was Mab's one true hot button. She disliked any breech of it and went out of her way to scorn those who did. She lived and died by her rules of protocol and expected all others to adhere to them just as fastidiously. It was a point which she spared no expense to impress upon the young princess. "I will not tolerate frivolity or carelessness. You will be at your most regal best at all times," she insisted, another of her rules of protocol and interactions. Clarion was expected to act just like Queen Mab. Her contact with the common fairies was very limited and they were to always be kept at a distance. There was a chain of command and authority was always delegated to the ministers and the guild overseers. No common fairy could have an audience with the queen without due diligence by the others to whom she had bestowed authority.

"You will acknowledge them, but do not engage them. Why, if you were to let the commoners think the queen could be approached so easily they would be marching in here all willy-nilly asking for our time. That is why we let others interact with the fairies of our realm. Our role is to lead, to give direction and maintain our purpose."

"What _is_ our purpose?" Clarion asked.

"To bring the seasons to the mainland," the queen answered. It was their sworn duty of every fairy to bring each season on time and in full to the human world. Failure could cause widespread devastation and chaos among those who lived outside the realm of the Never Fairies. "The last time our kind failed to bring a season to the human world it caused an ice age that lasted for several decades."

"Oh my," the princess gasped.

Icicle hung her head low. "It took so very long to set right our failure. Many humans and fairies needlessly perished because of our negligence."

It wasn't just the humans who suffered. Fairies were born of a baby's first laugh. When the number of humans declined fewer babies were born and that meant fewer fairies came to Never Land. Worse yet, children mimic their parents and during those gloomy decades, parents lost hope causing their children to lose faith in the fairies. When a child echoes these words, "I don't believe in a fairies" or "fairies do not exist," one Never Fairy falls down dead.

"More than one in four of our kind had fallen dead by the time we could regain control of the seasons," Queen Mab informed the new arrival with a mournful note. "That is why we must not fail and why we cannot involve ourselves with trivial nonsense."

"Is that why you insist on protocol?"

"Yes, it is. Those rules are meant to maintain our world and safeguard our future. Do not ever forget that."

"I understand, Majesty."

Queen Mab dispatched her ministers, and instructed Icicle to inform the Lord of Winter that a new princess had arrived and he should pay homage to her immediately. Icicle bowed and left for her winter season. The regent brought the new princess to the library and instructed one of the scribes to provide books on fairy law, the history of Pixie Hollow, the history of the mainland, diplomacy, leadership, personnel management, logic and many other subjects important to a ruling monarch.

"You will attend classes here every morning after breakfast," the monarch said. "The scribes will be your teachers. After lunch you will attend to me as I will provide instruction in the proper manners of a queen three times a week and the other four days you will train in one of the many talents of Pixie Hollow."

Clarion, the young princess, seemed overwhelmed at this rigorous schedule. "When will I have time for socializing? To be with my own thoughts?"

"Queen's do not socialize," Mab said in rebuke. "We are entrusted with the business of an entire world, such frivolity is not allowed."

"You sound…, regretful," Clarion noticed.

Mab stiffened. "I have no regrets. I was born for this role and so have you. Put all thoughts of having a life of your own out of your head. That is for the common fairies. Now, come with me."

Clarion followed dutifully, but still noticed that edge of regret in Queen Mab's eyes and body language. She wondered what other sacrifices were necessary to be queen.

The regent introduced the young arrival to four fairies whom she identified as helpers. They were to be her attendants. Each was entrusted with providing for the princess in her daily affairs by keeping the room clean, preparing the morning and nightly bath, bringing fresh clothes and linens each day and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. "They will wake you, dress you, comb your hair and ensure you are always at your finest before leaving this room. Each night they will put away your tiara, take away your clothes and provide a night dress for sleeping. And when necessary they will also wash and dry your wings. No Queen of Pixie Hollow can ever be seen with dirty wings."

For the rest of the day Princess Clarion was shown each room within the Pixie Dust Tree including the royal treasure which was filled with pirate gold and icons of fairy magic including a mirror which could grant three wishes. Next was the tearoom, though Mab made it known that no queen ever spent time here. The tea room was only for the common fairies, not members of the royal court. Room to room, they went until the tour ended with a visit to the falls where the pixie dust poured out from the center of the Pixie Dust Tree.

"Where does it come from?" Clarion asked.

"It is the peculiar sap of this tree," Mab explained. "It originates as magic from Never Land itself, the tree converts it into this dust which we in turn use to power our own magical talents and give us flight."

Gary, a young dust keeper with a strong and burly accent informed the princess that a rare moonstone was used to make blue pixie dust once every eight years during the blue moon. The blue dust was used to refresh the Pixie Dust Tree, providing for it food, while also multiplying the amount of dust the tree provides. "Without it no fairy or sparrow man in Pixie Hollow would ever fly again."

He spoke those words with such solemnity. It was clear Gary took his work very seriously.

"It is getting late," Mab announced, noting how the sun hung low in the western sky. "Go to your room where you will be served dinner. Waiting for you will be two books: a blank journal and a journal written by the first queen of Pixie Hollow."

"Journals?"

"Yes, each queen writes a daily journal for her own personal record keeping," Mab said. "These journals differ from history books in that they are personal and contain private thoughts. You will study each one carefully every night after dinner and practice writing your own."

"Who else reads them?"

"Only a sitting queen or a princess may read them."

"Why?" Clarion wanted to know. "Do these journals contain secrets only a regent may know?"

"Yes, they do," Mab answered quite sternly. "And you will do well to never mention it again."

"I understand, my queen."

"Good, then off with you," the regent instructed with a huff. "Your dinner is waiting and tomorrow will be the first of many very long days."

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**If you like what you have read so far, please let me know. Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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Princess Clarion discovered that the schedule set down for her was more exhausting than she initially anticipated. Her first morning in Pixie Hollow began when she was woken by one of her helper talents. She was rushed into a bath where the helpers washed her and her wings were scrubbed clean and dried. The tub was made special for her. It had two spots where her wings could rest, free from the bathwater. Following her bath a dressing gown was provided while she ate breakfast. Afterwards the helper talents dressed her, combed and styled her hair, applied a touch of makeup and placed her tiara atop her head.

This all took less than one hour and the sun had not yet risen. Her first order of the day was to appear before Queen Mab for inspection. Upon passing muster, Clarion read the daily reports from her advisors and then was whisked away to the library to begin her studies.

She was immersed in fairy law, leadership, history and many other subjects until lunch. Her mind was swimming with details that at times seemed to bleed together and became confused. The new princess struggled to keep her facts straight. The midday meal was served in a private room where the Queen quizzed her about what she had learned so far. The princess did not impress.

Lunch ended promptly even though Clarion had not yet finished. She spent so much time answering questions and fretting over incorrect answers that she barely managed to consume half her plate. Though she complained, Queen Mab did not yield. From the lunch room Clarion was led on a relentless course in proper manners with Mab herself as the instructor.

She was taught posture, poise, movement, grace, language and above all, discipline and self-control. "We cannot lose our tempers or appear too emotional less our charges believe we cannot manage any situation no matter how difficult."

"Shouldn't we at least display some concern?" Clarion asked.

Mab stopped and glared at her charge. "We express concern through our actions, not our emotions."

"But won't the fairies of Pixie Hollow believe we are heartless and uncaring?"

"Tell me, Princess, what would fill you with confidence? A queen who was stoic in the face of impending danger, or a queen who collapsed into hysterics?"

"Stoicism, of course," Clarion answered. "However, you are applying two extremes when there are several levels in between that could serve a purpose of conveying sympathy without degenerating into panic."

"Stoicism is the order of the day. No matter what, you must always appear in control. Understood?" Mab said rather unsubtly.

"Couldn't we offer some measure of-"

"There is no answer other than pure, emotionless resolve!" Mab answered, voice raised and her fury barely sheathed behind her regal propriety.

Though subtle, it was the first time Clarion had seen such an outburst from the queen. Despite it all she could sense just how truly angry the woman was behind her stone hardened face. Whether by accident or design Mab displayed precisely what she was trying to teach the young princess. Had Mab lost her cool Clarion would have certainly looked upon the queen quite differently, wondering if Queen Mab could not contain her temper when needed. By giving just a slightly raised voice with punctuation on every word Mab was able to convey her answer without damaging the outward appearance of being in control. Clarion nodded her understanding and tried her best to please the demanding monarch.

**~O~**

By the day's end the new princess was exhausted beyond all reason. Her unintentionally small lunch had caught up with her and she had almost no energy. Clarion's eyes drooped and her posture slumped much to the chagrin of the queen who had just been teaching her not to do such a thing.

"Next time, eat faster," was what Mab told her. Dinner was served in the private dining room, this time not a word was spoken between them. Yet Clarion could feel the queen's disapproving glare upon her. She felt disappointed for not living up to the sitting monarch's exacting expectations.

When the princess retired to her bed chamber to read through the journals of the previous queens of Pixie Hollow, one of her helpers noticed her distress. "You seem ill at ease," the helper talent named Cinda remarked.

"It is nothing that should worry you, my dear," Clarion said in a pleasant and caring voice.

Cinda, though, knew how disquieted the princess was and offered to be a confidant. "I swear I shall tell not another soul, my future queen."

Clarion sighed and then revealed how she felt. "It was as if nothing I did today met with Queen Mab's approval."

"Do not worry yourself, Princess Clarion," Cinda said in a quiet voice. "She is that way with almost everyone. And you should not be so disappointed in yourself. You cannot be expected to master the complexities of your talent in one day. It takes many months to learn the fundamentals and often times years or decades to truly reach and master the limits of those talents."

"Have you mastered the limits of your talent?" Clarion asked.

"No, but I have not yet lived two hundred years."

Clarion smiled. "Thank you, dear Cinda. You have helped me more than you can know. Though I cringe at spending several decades under the tutelage of the queen."

"She means well, Princess."

"Were previous queens the same?"

"I do not know," Cinda replied, feeling ashamed for not having an answer. "I arrived during the rule of Queen Mab. But perhaps these journals you read could provide an answer."

"You know of the private journals?"

"I know of them, but that is all," Cinda answered. "It is forbidden for anyone to read them except a leader talent."

"So only myself and the queen would read these," Clarion determined.

"Actually, there is a third."

"Oh? Who is that?"

**~O~**

Lord Milori looked on with a satisfied smile as the Snowy Owls were loaded with their precious cargo: snowflakes, snowshoe bunnies and a multitude of winter coated animals as his winter fairies prepared for launch this morning. This year the winter season would be quite good. All of the defective baskets had been replaced before the season was to begin.

Last year when he complained he contacted the guild master directly rather than forwarding his grievance directly to the office of the queen. Mab was most cross with him for not following correct procedures. Milori argued that going through channels would delay the beginning of winter. Contacting the guild master directly saved much needed time. While this was a logical argument Mab was unwilling to concede the point and upbraided him for slighting her office and herself. "I must be informed at all times," she told him. "How else am I to recognize that someone is failing in their duty?"

Duty. That word reminded him that he had yet to pay his respects to the new princess, what's her name. Claire, Clarisse, Clementine. He knew it began with a C and probably an L. Milori had sent word back with the Minister of Winter that he would be delayed in this duty. The regent would know why. Milori sent his worries to her office directly, explaining about the failing baskets. Today new ones were delivered promptly.

Milori followed Dewey's advice. He visited the kitchens of the Winter Woods and procured ice box chocolates drizzled with a hint of salt to enhance their sweetness. He flew directly to the Pixie Dust Tree to meet with Queen Mab. When he arrived Milori was told that she would be out shortly to speak with him.

He waited and waited and waited.

**~O~**

Princess Clarion finished her lunch dutifully. This morning was another whirlwind of activity as the princess was again pressed to learn more of Pixie Hollow history and law. The queen was unable to tutor the young woman today. Her schedule did not allow it. Instead the Princess was to begin learning one of the many talents the fairies of Pixie Hollow practiced.

Minutes after taking the last bite of her meal she was spirited off to meet with her first talent trainer. Today she was to work with the Tinker Guild. Tinkers, she was told, were the builders and inventors of Pixie Hollow. They crafted and created all that helped make Pixie Hollow function. The mouse carts, animal stables, fairy homes, buckets, satchels, cups and saucers, cooking utensils and many other things crafted by fairy hands more often than not came from Tinker's Nook.

The new princess was introduced to the talent guild overseer, Fairy Marcus. Marcus was, by fairy standards, quite old. His dark hair was now mostly grey and what had once been a handsome and toned body had been reduced to a shell of its former self. Marcus, who upon his arrival, had been one of the most talented tinkers with a sharp mind and focused attention span, could barely remember where he had left his own clipboard today.

It was on the table right next to him.

"Dang it. If my wings weren't attached I'd lose them, too," he complained.

"Ahem," the Minister of Spring said clearing his throat.

Marcus turned around and upon seeing the princess bowed reverently. "Princess, how may I be of service?"

Minister Laurel answered. "Fairy Marcus, today is the beginning of Princess Clarion's training in the tinker guild."

"I see, well the winter fairies are just now setting off on delivering winter, which means my guild is engaged in preparations for spring. However, I may have just the person to show our fair, young princess the ropes."

Marcus flitted off for a moment, but quickly returned with a somewhat pudgy woman dressed in Tinker Green and wearing her light brown hair in a bun.

"Princess, this is Mary, one of my best tinkers. She will be your instructor during your tinker training."

Mary bowed. "This is a great honor," she said in a thick Lancashire accent.

"It is good to meet you, Mary," the princess said. "My name is Clarion."

"Oh yes, everyone knows who you are," Mary replied. "Hardly anyone talks about anything else these days. You're a celebrity."

The princess blushed. She was not accustomed to such adoration. Clarion supposed she would have to get used to it as both princess and eventually queen.

"Shall we begin?" Clarion asked, eager to begin training that didn't involve fairy law or standing straight.

"This way," Mary said, directing the princess to her workstation. As the princess moved through the interior of the Tinker's Nook work area every fairy and sparrow man she passed by bowed to her. She did her best to acknowledge each and every one of them. This brought smiles to the faces of the tinkers.

One or two even fainted from the exaltation.

"Mary, why are the tinker fairies reacting this way?" she asked her tutor.

"Oh, they are just so excited to have you here in our little corner of Pixie Hollow," Mary replied.

"Doesn't Queen Mab visit?"

"Oh no. The last time her highness visited was when Fairy Marcus was appointed guild overseer."

"How dreadful," Clarion gasped.

"Oh, she is too busy with her own duties to visit any of the guilds," Mary informed the young princess. "Besides, we get along just fine on our own. Every guild does. Oh, here we are, our workstation for the day. Now then, have you ever held a hammer?"

"No."

"Then that is where we will begin."

**~O~**

It was now after lunchtime and Milori was still waiting. _She will see me shortly? What a lie._

The door finally opened and out came Queen Mab in all her finery. By now the icebox chocolates had melted into a disgusting goo. The box they came in could barely hold its shape and Milori did his best to hide it from her.

"How dare you not offer fealty to your new princess when summoned?" she asked immediately. At least the chocolates weren't going to be a problem.

"I did send word that I would be delayed," he told her, hoping it would mitigate her anger.

"And do you not have guild overseers who can supervise the work being done?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I see," she said, flittering back and forth across the floor in front of him. "Do you find them incompetent or incapable of doing their job?"

"No, not at all, they are quite efficient," he answered, obviously quite proud of them.

"I see. Then perhaps your winter fairies are not up to the task of their annual duties?"

"They have never failed, Your Highness."

"So what you are saying is that you have no excuse for not coming when summoned."

_Ouch._ He had been backed into a corner.

"Answer me, Lord of Winter. That is what you are saying."

He sighed. Milori had been superbly outmaneuvered. "Quite right, Your Highness."

Calm stoicism never left her face, but Mab's eyes narrowed considerably. "If you ever fail to come when summoned again, Lord of Winter, you will be stripped of your title and retired to a faraway island where you will have plenty of time to waste. Is that clear?"

Chastened, he bowed to her. "Yes, my queen."

"Excellent. Now then, throw away that awful melted chocolate and pay fealty to your new princess. She can be found in Tinker's Nook. When you are done you are to return immediately to the Winter Woods and oversee the final preparations for your season. I'm sure _your_ fairies are most helpless without you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

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Milori shook his head. The queen was quite right. It was his own misgivings about the new princess that delayed him. Not a worthy excuse at all. He had to try harder to please the queen. Milori had been thrust into his role before his training was complete. It had been some two hundred years since that happened, but he was still learning his talents. When he wasn't managing his own season he was working with tutors to fully master his abilities. At least regarding that he could sympathize with the new princess.

The Lord of Winter had not fluttered more than five minutes outside the Pixie Dust Tree when he was beset by the one person in Pixie Hollow he disliked the most. Mariposa, the Minister of Summer.

"Milori!" she called out to him, her voice cheerful in a sing song kind of way. "Milori, dear. Yoo-hoo!"

He sighed with an almost palpable air of defeat. _Why her? Why now?_

Mariposa had a huge crush on the Lord of Winter. Milori thought she was a nice person, but there was no chemistry at all with the woman. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to tactfully inform her that he had no interest in her whatsoever Mariposa refused to listen. In fact, his attempts to rebuff her advances were interpreted as playing "hard to get" and only encouraged her to try harder. It was a no win situation for the Lord of Winter who now had to find some reason for escaping her clutches.

Speaking of clutches, Mariposa immediately took his arm in one hand and placed the other on his chest gently massaging him while nearly purring as she spoke. "Fancy meeting you here," she said trying to sound seductive, but coming off more like a terrible bout of intestinal distress.

"Indeed." Milori was certain the woman had been waiting for him to emerge so she could pounce. That was the only way he could explain how she always seemed to bump into him whenever he paid a visit to the warm side of Pixie Hollow. "How, uh…, fortunate." _Unfortunate was more like it._

She smiled warmly. "So, do you have a date for the winter celebration this year?" she asked him. Every year the fairies of Pixie Hollow held a festival celebrating each season after it was successfully delivered to the mainland. Mariposa never failed to make at least one, actually several, attempts to make Milori her date for each festivity. He had never failed to avoid this travesty in the past and he wasn't about to spoil his perfect track record this year.

"Mariposa, now is not a good time," he began.

She pulled him even closer, laying her head on his chest. The woman had no sense of personal space. In her mind their union was an inevitability marred only by his reluctance to see the truth of their love. The reality of it was quite different. Every fairy and sparrow man could tell Milori had absolutely no attraction to this woman and was repulsed by her unbridled overtures towards him. Every person knew this, that is, except Mariposa herself. "It's never a good time," she told him. "Always so busy, busy, busy. You should relax. Perhaps we should relax together at the winter festival."

"I'm sorry, Mariposa, but I have some urgent business from the queen herself," he told her. "I can't delay any longer. I should go."

"The queen, is it?" She sounded suspicious. "You know, I have the queen's ear. I'm certain this errand could be made to disappear. Or be handled by someone else. Speaking of handling things." She slipped her hand from his chest to his rump.

Milori bolted away from her. He desperately wanted to tell this woman just how disgusted he was with her. However, such a display was unbecoming a person in his position of authority. It would be exactly what Queen Mab would need to remove him from his post. "Goodbye, Minister." He addressed her not by her name, but by her title. He hoped she would get the message, but the woman was too blinded by her own delusion to recognize it.

The Lord of Winter sped off in the direction of Tinker's Nook hoping that his unwanted admirer wasn't following. A quick glance over his shoulders, masquerading as a simple check for airborne fairy traffic, told him she wasn't. _Thank goodness._

**~O~**

Milori, Lord of Winter, had been through this so many times before. Ever since their first meeting Mariposa had been smitten with him. Then he had found her amiable, but felt no connection. Her first attempts to get his attention were subtle and coy, but when ignored she became increasing bold and then brazen in her attempts to win his heart. Now it seemed she had crossed the line into all-out assault.

He had complained to the queen about the Minister of Summer repeatedly. For once they agreed on something. Mariposa was not acting as a proper Minister of the Seasons should and more than once the woman was taken to task for her lapses of propriety. However, Mariposa and Queen Mab had formed a kind of synergy between them.

They were not friends by any stretch of the imagination. Her Highness the Queen refused to allow anyone close enough to her to be called "friend." She feared that doing so would put her into the difficult situation where she would have to choose between loyalties. Mab chose detachment over all else for this reason. Yet the Minister of Summer and the Queen of Pixie Hollow had developed a kind of professional chemistry to such a level as to be considered rare among their kind (and just as rare among the humans).

Mariposa had reached a point where she could predict what the queen wanted and had it ready before Mab asked for it. By the same token the Minister of Summer had also learned how to navigate around the queen with great ease. Her claim that she had "the queen's ear," was a hollow boast, yet Mariposa was capable of re-prioritizing efforts without bringing down the fury of the queen upon herself. Even when the Minister of Summer had the most to gain.

Fortunately, the task at hand was not one that Mariposa could have "re-prioritized" to another person. The Lord of Winter had to do this himself and, preferably, alone.

**~O~**

Princess Clarion was catching on very fast. Mary the tinker was surprised. "Not many can do that so easily," she told the young regent.

Clarion nodded but respectfully deferred to the quality of Mary's tutoring. "You make this easy to understand and have great patience. I am very fortunate to have you as my instructor, Mary."

Now it was Mary's turn to blush. "Well I do have a very good student."

"Only 'very good?'" Clarion asked with mock injury. Mary was not fooled for a moment.

The two women looked at each other and burst into giggles. "Mary, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

Moments later Fairy Marco flew into the workshop. He announced that rains in the mountains were flooding Havendish Stream. Some of the water from Havendish trickled through the residential area of Tinker's Nook. A series of levies formed overflow ponds. If any single pond received too much water some of it was released. One of those ponds released runoff into Tinker's Nook which then trickled through the residential area.

"The levee for our little spot of sunshine is failing," Marcus announced to gasps and muffled weeping. "I need volunteers to help reinforce it." Extra water was to be released via the spillway into the housing district of Tinker's Nook. "If you have low lying homes bring your possessions here to keep them safe and dry," Marcus instructed. "Then join us at the levee. Bring your tools and your spirit, we'll need both today."

"Shall we?" Princess Clarion said, moving to join the throngs of tinker fairies who were heading out to save their homes.

"Your Highness, far be it from me to say so, but don't you think it would be best for you to stay dry?" Mary carefully suggested.

"Nonsense," Clarion replied with a grin and a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "I'm here to learn and what better way than with true hands on experience." With that the Princess followed the others out of the workshop and towards the emergency.

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**I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Thank you for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Lord Milori found his way to Tinker's Nook with little difficulty. When he arrived the place was empty. Even the mice which pulled the carts throughout Pixie Hollow were missing. Work was left unfinished where it stood. In fact, it appeared as if everything was left behind without concern for neatness or order. _It's as if everyone suddenly got up and left_, he thought to himself. _No wonder our baskets are of such poor quality._

He searched around for anyone who could direct him. Finally the Lord of Winter found a young tinker sparrow man who zipped into the housing district to retrieve his tools.

"I say there," Milori called out, addressing the boy. "What has happened? Where is everyone?"

"My Lord, the levee is failing," the boy replied. "Everyone is helping to restore it before we are all flooded out."

"I was told that Princess Clarion would be with the Tinkers," Milori stated. "Do you know where I might find her?"

"She is at the levee assisting the guild," the boy explained.

_She's what?_ "Are you certain?"

"Yes, my Lord. No other except the queen bears the royal wings."

He was right, of course. Only the highest of nobility among fairies were born with such magnificent appendages. All others, including himself, had to make due with common fairy wings. Milori followed the boy upstream of the runoff the find the princess and present himself to her.

**~O~**

At the earthen embankment dozens of tinker fairies and sparrow men scrambled to build up the earthworks around their levee. The water had partially broken through at the midway point. So much of the dirt was soaked that many had taken to filling bags with sand or dirt and piling them up upon on another to make a temporary patch until the damage could be fixed permanently.

The onrush of flowing water, however, was knocking over many of the sandbags and thwarting their efforts. Mary had the idea of building a wall of vertical timbers to provide a backbone against which the sandbags would rest. Marcus agreed and assigned her the task of executing her plan. She quickly organized tinker fairies to begin digging a deep trench to receive the timbers as they were inserted while others cut thick tree branches which would act as the timbers and brought them to the base of the levee. Here more fairies were waiting with stem twine to tie the timbers together and then packed in tree sap between the branches to act as a sealant.

Clarion marveled at Mary's skills. The young female tinker was able to quickly sum up the situation, posit a resolution, organize workers, prioritize tasks, establish both a workspace and a workflow and pushed everyone to excel, diving in to help out when needed. The princess began considering the possibility that Mary would make an excellent tinker guild overseer if the position ever became available.

The princess, not wanting to be a warm body getting in the way, dove right in. She grabbed a shovel and began filling bags with dirt to help those who were placing the sandbags. Her presence there stunned the fairies around her. They were unaccustomed to a royal getting their hands dirty. The young royal filled one grass woven sack after another while fairies removed them to the top of the levee where water continued to spill over.

"Look out!"

Clarion spun around to see sand bags and mud fall from the top of the levee. More of the earthen embankment was crumbling as the force of water poured over and down. The princess quickly grabbed a stick with an "L" shaped turn at one end and used it push against the leaning wall. Others seeing what she had done began grabbing whatever they could and assisted her. They all fluttered their wings, but were unable to gain enough push so Clarion, leading the way, stuck her feet into the sopping dirt and used her legs, one cautious step at a time, to reseat the bags and mud.

The ploy worked. The others followed her example and began to find purchase in the muddy dirt. No sooner had the top of the levee been saved when the princess slipped and she and her elegant dress fell into the sopping wet mud.

SPLUT!

Everyone stopped and gasped for the moment. It was a horrible sight. The princess covered from head to toe in the muck. Even Mary stood mortified that her soon to be queen had gotten so dirty. Clarion struggled to sit up in the soppy goo. She cleared the gook from her eyes, stared at the horrified Mary and smiled.

Mary was confused. Everyone was.

Princess Clarion looked herself over, realizing that her entire shimmering pixie dust dress was filthy and barely a glimmer of it could be seen beneath the layers of dark brown mud. Clarion suddenly burst into peals of laughter.

"I must look frightful," she said to her new friend, Mary the tinker.

Mary just stared at first. Then one side of her mouth crinkled up into a smile, then the other followed.

"Are you alright, your highness?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but I'll need another bath and by the looks of things quite soon."

"Ahem! Princess Clarion?" a deep, male voice in a refined accent called out.

The woman covered in layers of brown, filthy mud stood and announced herself. "Yes, I'm right here."

**~O~**

When Lord Milori arrived at the levee he found a sea of green clothed tinker fairies working tirelessly to repair the levee and save their homes. It was a bit of a strange sight to him as most water in his realm was frozen solid.

The green clad fairies darted this way and that, each with a purpose, carrying sandbags or buckets of dirt or tying up timbers and sealing them with tree sap. There was a cacophony of noise among them and not one person recognized him or if they did were too busy to acknowledge his presence. Under normal circumstances this was a terrible breach of protocol as set down by Queen Mab, however, these were not ordinary circumstances. The survival of an entire guild rested in the balance.

As he searched for the princess he expected to find her overseeing the controlled chaos that surrounded him. That was one of the roles of a leadership talent like himself. Oversee, coordinate and manage. He asked any fairy whose attention he could hold long enough to provide him and answer. Finally someone told him, "She's at the levee working on the line."

_Working on the line?_ The girl he asked must have been mistaken. Milori chose to search for the glimmering, glittering wings of a royal. They stood out from the clear, common wings every other fairy sported on their backs. Again he hunted for her away from the earthen embankment, but could not find her.

Frustrated he turned around to leave, thinking she may have exited the area to report back to the queen. When he did he saw those golden wings and shimmering dress. Princess Clarion was exactly where he had been told, at the base of the levee working on the line.

Lord Milori was shocked. Queen Mab absolutely would not approve.

He watched her, flabbergasted as she filled one bag after another. Then when the levee threatened to collapsed she grabbed a stick and worked with other fairies to push mud and sandbags back into position where others reinforced the top of the embankment.

Then she fell into the mud… and laughed at her own bad luck.

Milori approached her. "Ahem, Princess Clarion?"

"Yes, I'm right here," she answered. She stood to greet him. "May I ask your name, sir?"

"I am Milori, Lord of the Winter Woods," he said introducing himself. "I am the leader of the winter fairies."

Clarion visibly gulped, apparently embarrassed to be seen by another leader talent in this condition. She hurriedly tried to wipe the mud from her dress and hair. "My tiara!" she blurted out. "My tiara is missing."

Quickly every tinker fairy surrounding her began digging into the mud where she had fallen in. None dove in as quickly as the princess herself. Milori was horrified as he was treated to an eyeful of the princess' mud soaked backside.

"I found it!" someone yelped. A young woman, slightly plump with brown hair brought a mud caked hoop that Clarion tried and failed to wipe clean. The twinkling jewels were dulled by the layers of wet dirt smeared over them. When Clarion put the tiara upon her head her bun of hair fell out of place.

She grabbed the sticky strands and ran her hands down them, vainly trying to squeeze the muddy gook out of her tresses. Here she stood, the Princess of Pixie Hollow, future queen of the realm looking to all the world like a common mud worker.

**~O~**

When Milori returned to the Winter Woods he was greeted by his friend, Dewey. "Well, did you meet the new princess?" Dewey asked.

Milori grunted in the affirmative.

"I see, and do you still think we're doomed?"

"More than ever," Milori replied.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of this new development.**


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